(Closed) Can anyone tell me about c-sections?

After seeing “The Business of Being Born” and “Pregnant in America,” I was convinced that I was going to have a natural birth. For a couple months there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to experience natural birth, and I was actually looking forward to the labor experience.

However, do to extremely high blood pressure that continues to elevate every month (and unfortunately makes our baby grow small) and placenta previa, my doctor has told me to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of a c-section. Of course it’s not a for sure thing, but she did not want me to be heart broken in the labor room when I can’t have the natural birth I wanted.

So, I was wondering if you ladies here could share your experience.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after?

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away?

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re in a comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms?

I had an emergency cesarean with DS. While I think recovery from major surgery is recovery, I have heard that having one planned and NOT after many hours of labor is easier.

1. I wasn’t able to walk for around that long, and actually couldn’t even move my toes for around 8 hours, and didn’t start feeling them while moving them till 10 hours. =/

2. They will ususally do a “peek over” so you can see the baby, but no you don’t get to hold baby until after baby is cleaned up & you are closed up.

They gave me DS as I was being wheeled back to my room. I fell asleep pretty much right after getting in there from the morphine & slept for about 3 hours. Kinda feel like I missed the first part of his life BUT I had also been in labor for 31 hours so I was pretty wiped.

3. I had DS on the way back to the room & when I woke up. Only thing about cesareans is if you don’t have someone there with you in the room (like Darling Husband goes somewhere & you’re alone) then they take baby to the nursery b/c of your difficulty in moving around.

4. It wasn’t that bad. Hard to move around for the first week.. like sitting up in bed, getting up from sitting, coughing/sneezing SUCKED, but I still managed AND got my wisdome teeth removed with DS was just a couple weeks old! Ibuprofen was my FRIEND! and I hated the pain pills! Ibuprofen & Torodal in the hospital was WAY better than the pain pills.

5. I mangaed, but also had my mom who lived very close so she helped me alot. Definitely doable though 😉

Hope that helps some. It of course isn’t ideal to have major surgery & a newborn BUT if it means that you and baby are genuinly better off with that route then that’s the best thing to do & you should feel like an awesome mom b/c you did what was really best! =)

Going to try to answer some of your questions. I had an emergency C-section 4 and half years ago.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after? I don’t remember how long before I could walk, it was awhile because I was pretty numb from the stomach on down for awhile.

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away? They weighed and measured my son and his father walked him over to me. I got to hold him while they wheeled me into my room. So, I got to hold him right after they took measurements.

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re in a comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms? I went right from the operating room to my hospital room and my son went with me.

What is the recovery like? One thing I wasn’t prepared for was throwing up. Something about the anesthesia didn’t agree with me but they gave me meds for it and I stopped. The staples come out before you go home (it’s amazing how fast your body heals). I was worried I wouldn’t be able to carry my son around after surgery but I was told I could. There is some swelling that happened in my legs and feet because I had to do so much laying down for so long. I had to wear a catheter for a day or two (which really wasn’t a big deal because you’re numb!). Hm, what else… I made sure as soon as I was cleared to start walking that I did and I walked around the hospital as much as they would let me. They give you pretty good meds to keep the pain away. I had a really good experience with my C-section. I had pushed for a good couple hours before I had mine so it really was a relief to me! One this that was hard for me is you aren’t supposed to rely on your ab muscles for anything to let them heal. So, my arms got a workout everytime I wanted to sit up or climb out of bed!

Is it hard to deal with a newborn and recover from a serious surgery? I don’t think so but only because I had a very supportive SO who stayed in the hospital with me every night and took time off. You are def. going to want someone who can be there for you the first few days because you will be sleeping a lot and not able to hop out of bed to take care of your baby.

Honestly, if I was to ever have another baby, I have been cleared for a vag birth but i would probably choose to go C-section again. Like I said, I had a really good exprience with it. i am sure every hospital is different though.

My son was taken csection 2 months premature at 2lbs 12oz. ANd i totally planed for a natural birth ect till i was told i was having serious complications and his heart rate was dropping into the 20s due to extremely low amniotic fluid.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after?

I was up walking around withing 4 hrs as soon as i regained feeling in my extremities i was told i had to get up and walk as well as try to have a bowel movement. Honestly i felt amazing afterwards i handled the meds very well and the nurses let me go to see my son about 6 hrs after i gave birth cause he was in the nicu

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away?

They let me see my baby right away and i gave him a kiss before they took him to insert a breathing tube and an umbilical iv and a nasal feeding tube

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re in a comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms?

this kinda didnt apply to me cause he had to be in an incubator but there is no reason you cant have your child as soon as you ask as long as hes doesnt require being on a special unit. Even when we were up there the nurses let us do kangaroo care as soon as he was off the feeding tube and let us be very involved changing diapers and holding his hands. But i have to admit other than feeling sleepy from the pain meds you get to deal with the pain of the incision i was golden. Everyone was shocked to see how well i did. the kicker is they didnt even use staples in my incision, I was at a teaching hospital in chicago and they used a new almost tape like material kinda like steristrips if you know what those are to hold my insision together

What is the recovery like?

other than some mild discomfort in the incision i was okay. they put you on a weight restriction so you cant lift anything over 10 lbs for like 2 weeks. but to be honest with you im way to active and by the time i came home 4 days later, i opted to stay an extra day to be closer to my son as our house as 2 hrs away i was doing things i felt comfortable doing even though i was over the weight restriction. you have to listen to your body if it hurts dont do it. pooping was kinda hard cause the meds constipate you and it hurts to push. nothing a stool softner cant help

Is it hard to deal with a newborn and recover from a serious surgery?

i didnt have my son at home till he was a month old BUT i drove to the hosp regularly and did as much as they would let me there, its important you get help when ever you need it. dont fall into the i can do it all rut. ask for help or take it when offered. Dont neglect yourself, take vitamins, eat healthy as hard as it sounds you cant take care of your baby if you are not healthy. hope this helps

I had a c-section back in Sept. I think I can answer all your questions.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after? I suppose I didn’t, but then again, my baby was born at 11 pm. I was kind of ready for bed by that point! I couldn’t move my lower body (I sat and concentrated on moving my foot like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and it was a no go) for several hours after surgery. I think I regained feeling sometime in the very early morning- maybe 3-4 hours after surgery. The next morning the nurses had to help me to the bathroom. I think I walked by myself to the bathroom around 9 am, so I guess it was a little over 10 hours.

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away?- Yes, this is true, at least for me. I couldn’t move very much and was shaking very badly (a combination of the drugs and also the hysteria from being told I was having an emergency c section). My husband kind of propped the baby against my shoulder so I could at least see her. Back in the room the nurse and husband kind of manuevered the baby so I could nurse. I wasn’t allowed to be alone with the baby due to not being able to walk- my husband or nurse had to be in the room the first few hours if I wanted the baby.

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms? 15 minutes. They stitched me up, cleaned the baby up, and brought her to me to try nursing.

What is the recovery like? Easiest thing ever for me. Next to no pain, I was up and walking the next day. I was off the pain meds as soon as I went home.

Is it hard to deal with a newborn and recover from a serious surgery? The second night was. I felt so good that second day that I refused my pain meds. I woke up in the middle of the second night in horrible pain. The nurse brought the baby in to try nursing and went back out to get my pain meds. While she was gone, the baby pooped and I didn’t want her sitting in it, so I ambled over to change her. That was hard. Other than that night, smooth sailing. My SIL had a vaginal birth with bad tearing and she was having trouble walking days later. I think I had it much easier than her.

I’m not trying to threadjack (promise!!), but I have been wondering about C-sections too now that were getting closer to TTC. All the info you ladies are providing makes it sound a LOT less terrifying! Thanks! My question is regarding feeding and medicine: if they put you on pain meds, are you still able to breastfeed? How does that work? Just really curious since I’d hope to Boyfriend or Best Friend, but my mom didn’t and I don’t have any friends who have had C-sections to ask!!!

I have 2 kids both were c-sections. My first was due to my cervics not opening up enough and the second was automatic due to first.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after? You do not get to walk around right afterwards. They take you from the surgery bed to the bed you will be in and roll you to your room.

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away? They give you a peak, clean, weigh, ect. then you are able to. Your body is open, so to me it was understandable.

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re in a comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms? I was rolled from one room to another within minutes of being cleaned up with my baby.

What is the recovery like? It was a little painful to start walking/moving again but the faster you get up and going the faster recovery. I got out of bed the next morning and walked to the nursery. I was determined!!!

Is it hard to deal with a newborn and recover from a serious surgery? Just don’t handle more than the doctors tell you and you will be fine. I slept in a recliner, it was easier for me to get out of faster.

I had my baby boy two weeks ago, with a C-Section. Some details are blurry to me now, but I’ll do my best to share.

Can you really not walk for 12 hours after?I think it depends on each individual… I had my baby at 11:15 am, after being in labor for 47 hours. I did not want to stand up and walk, it was the last think on my mind. A nurse came to see if I could stand up, and I could, but I am not sure how many hours after surgery that happened. A few hours later, a nurse came again to make me walk a few steps.

After the baby comes out, do they really not let you hold it right away?In my case, they had the pediatrician in the delivery room to run tests on the baby right after delivery because of the long labour and the signs of possible infection that I had, so I didn’t get to hold the baby right away, no. However, the tests didn’t take more than 5-10 minutes; and at that point, I was vomitting and falling asleep from the surgery and exhaustion of labour. They handed the baby to my husband right away though, and I was able to look at him and touch him as well.

How long does it take after the c-section until you’re in a comfortable bed and the baby is in your arms?

After the baby is out, they work on getting the placenta out and stitching you up… Not too sure how long that took; but again, in my case at that point I needed to sleep badly – I think I first held/nursed him about 1 hour after he was born because I fell asleep in the recovery room, with my husband and baby by my side.

What is the recovery like?

For me, it was difficult. I spent 3 days in the hospital, but didn’t get much rest there because there is always a nurse or another doctor in there and didn’t get much sleep. Also, I had an IV so couldn’t eat solids – with the time I spent laboring, I spent 4 days without eating. I believe this had a negative impact on my milk production from the get-go…

It got better as I got home though.

It was difficult to get out of bed or roll over from side to side for a few days. Laughing, coughing, sneezing and going to the bathroom were all difficult. If you asked me then, I would have said that getting a c-section was pretty bad; but now, two weeks later, I feel much better. I still have to wear maternity pants and granny panties because my regular stuff rub against my scar and it’s very uncomfortable; I won’t be able to workout for longer than if I had a vaginal birth and still can’t drive… but overall I think I’m recovering pretty fast.

Is it hard to deal with a newborn and recover from a serious surgery?

Yes, it is. Again, my mobility was quite affected, and my milk supply was slow to come because of the exhaustion and lack of food. My Darling Husband did pretty much everything from caring for our baby to caring for me in the first few days. We had my mother and my Mother-In-Law over every day and night for the first few days home. It helped a lot.

The most difficult part for me was definitely mentally though.I was bummed about the C-section and my lack of milk; felt like my body had failed my at every step. I was also feeling really guilty about the fact that except from breasfeeding (which didn’t go well), I didn’t do anything, not even to go the bathroom by myself. I am not used to being catered to at all times and wanted to help more but couldn’t. I cried a lot.

But everything got better… I mean, we knew that having a baby would be a lot of work, and it turned out to be even more difficult than we anticipated. But breastfeeding got easier (we almost quit a few times in the first week) and I am now able to care for the baby by myself and give my Darling Husband some rest…

Sorry for the novel! To sum it up, having a c-section wasn’t easy at first, but after the first week of despair, it all got better and I’m healing quite fast. As long as it was the safest option for both baby and I, I’m ok with the fact that I didn’t get the natural birth I wanted.

@bells: It’s not just a matter of “cleaning” the baby, but generally when you have a cesarean you have pedi there along with the ob (on the other side of the drape) & the anesthesiologist (on your side). The pedi wants to get the baby’s “stats” down & the anesthesiologist has your arms strapped down & is usually up by your head ready to administer pain meds as SOON AS baby is out of you. It’s kinda a bunch of different things going on….

Arms strapped down, you getting sewn up, and baby getting exam. =/

I DID read this GREAT article today about getting STS right IN THE O.R. I know that this go round IF for some reason I had to be transferred & got a cesarean I’ll be screaming for my STS time as soon as baby is born! lol